Railroad-signal



(No Model.)

B. T. BOWNE. RAILROAD SIGNAL. No. 429,185.

Patented June 3, 1890.

qw-itmeooao UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ROBERT T. BOIVNE, OF'BENSON, MARYLAND.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,185, dated June 3, 1890.

Application filed October 8, 1889- Serial No. 326,333. (No model.) 7

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT T. BOWNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benson, in the county of Harford and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Signals; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-signals that are employed to protect crossings and other places where it is necessary to indicate the approach of railroadtrains; and it consists of such arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof that the warning-signal may be operated at any desired distance from the crossing it protects, the actuatingdevicesbeing so constructed that the passage of a train thereover will produce and transmit suflicient power to cause the danger-signal tobe displayed when the train enters the section and to be returned to the safety position when the train has passed over the section, the first wheel of the tram causing the actuating mechanism to perform the required function and thereafter the in echananism thereof remaining at rest until the entire train has passed thereover, thus relieving these parts of any unnecessary movement by the different wheels of the train, all of which I accomplish by the devices hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accoi'npanying drawings, in which- Figure I shows a side elevation of a section of railroad-track provided with this signal. Fig. II shows a View looking down on the device shown in Fi 1. Fig. III shows a detail view in section of the actuating mechanism. Fig. IV shows a detail view in section of the expansible chamber for controlling signaldisk. Fig. V shows a detail view of the signal-box and the mechanism therein, the side of the box removed. Fig. VI shows a view looking down on the signal-box.

The same numbers refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

The number 8 denotes a section of railroadtrack that is provided with the signal placed at the crossing 9 to indicate the approach of a train, this section of track being extended sufficiently far on that side of the signal from which the train approaches that the actuating device 10, which is placed at the beginning of the section, will cause the danger-signal to be shown in time to give ample warning at the crossing, the actuating device 11, by which the signal is returned to the safety position, being placed at the other end of the section, and at the required distance on this departing side of the signal, whereby the train will have passed the crossing before the safetysignal is displayed.

The warning-signal that indicates the approach of a train is placed near the crossing 9 in plain view from the approaches thereto, and is constructed in the following manner: Supported by the uprights 12 is the box 13, that has provided therein a space for the semicircular disk 14, which is free to revolve on its bearings 15, provided therefor at the lower edges of the box 13, whereby when the semicircular disk is revolved it will be alternately hidden in the box and exposed to view below the lower edges thereof from either side, the said disk having suitable markings thereon that will indicate the approach of a train. To impart a revolving movement to the disk 14 there is provided a weight 16, which moves in a recess thereforin one of the uprights 12, the weight-rope 17, that is attached to the weight, passing over a pulley, and is then wound round the axle 18 of the disk, the shaft 19 of the disk being extended outside the box 13 sufficiently far to attach to the end thereof the crank-wheel 20, that may be operated by a belt or by hand for winding up the weight 16, an arm 21 being pivoted to the side of the upright 12 in such manner that the arm 22 thereof will be in the path of the falling weight, and the arm 21 thereby raised when the weight passes this point, thus indicating that the weight should be wound up. In practice this arm 21 is placed at sufficient height that the weight will fall any desired time after the signal to wind is shown.

In order to control the revolving movement of the semicircular disk 14, and thus alternately expose and conceal it in the b0x13', there is provided 011 the periphery of the disk the stop 23, which in the circumferential movement of the disk is stopped or released by the movement of the lever 24, that has a corresponding stop 25 therefor, this lever 24 being raised or lowered by means of the expansible chamber 26, that is operated by air-pressure produced in the actuatin mechanism 10, and transmitted thereto in a manner that will presently appear, the expansible chamber being of the form shown in Fig. 4, wherein the chamber is formed by any elastic material 29; or the chamber may be of any of the well-known forms which by a pressure of air will become inflated and expanded, the chamber being normally held in the collapsed form by the weight of the lever 24, resting on the capping-piece 31, or a spring 30 may be employed to normally maintain this form, as shown in Fig. IV. As stated, the lever 24 rests upon the capping-piece 31 of the expansible chamber 26, and thereby normally holds it in the collapsed form, in which position the stop of the lever will be in the path of the stop 23 on the periphery of the disk. Communicating with the interior of the chamber 26 is the pipe 28, through which the pressure from the actuating device 10 will pass with suftieient force to overcome the weight of the lever 24, or the tension of the spring 30, if it be employed, causing the chamber 26 to become inflated and assume the form shown by the dotted line in Fig. IV, which movement will cause the free end of the lever 24 to be raised out 01": the path of the stop 23 on the disk, and thus permit the said disk to revolve.

In the description just given of the operation of the lever 2% the employment of the one stop 23 will permit the disk to make one complete revolution. In order that the said disk may be permitted to make but one-half of a turn, and thus be stopped in position to expose its surface to view and denote the approach of a train, there is provided an expausible chamber 32 of like construction and operation as the chamber 26, the inflation or collapse of this chamber 32 so operating the lever 33 as to bring it in the path of or release it from the stop 3i, that is placed on the side of the disk, whereby when the stop 23 has been released and the disk made one-half turn the stop 34. will be brought in contact with the lever 33, and the disk held in this position of warning. Communicating with the interior of the chamber 32 is the pipe 35, that conveys the pressure that will be generated in the actuating device ll when the train passes thereover, and which is placed at the departing end of the section. Thus by alternately releasing one or the other of the stops 23 and 34: by the movement of; their respective levers, the disk It will, by its weight 16, be caused to alternately appear and disappear from view.

In order to actuate the signal devices just described at a distance sut'ticiently far therefrom to give ample warning of the approach of a train,there is provided at the end of the section 8, at which the train enters the section, the actuating device 10, that consists of a lever 37 of the form shown in l ig.III,whieh is pivoted to the outside of the rail or upon a suitable bearing 3S,secured to the tie 39 in such manner that the wheel of a car when passing over this part of the track will be in contact with the upper curved surface 40 of the lever, the highest point of which, when the lever is in its highest position, extends about one and one-half inch above the top of the rail, and is normally held thereat by a spring 70, which is of sulticient tension to re quire the weight of a car-wheel to overcome. Placed under this lever 37 is an expausible chamber 41, that is made of any elastic material -12, and may be of any form that will permit expansibility, the interior thereof being provided with a spring -14, the tension of which normally holds the said chamber in the extended position shown in Fig. III, the c0ntact-piece 43, that caps this expansible chamber, bearing on the under side of the lever and remaining in constant contact therewitlnthe chamber being supported in position by means of the plates 45, that are secured thereto and to the ties Attached to the bottom of the chamber 4-1, and communicating with the interior thereof, is the pipe 28, that communicates with the chamber 20 in the manner heretofore described, and that operates the lever 24 in the signal-box, whereby when the actuating-chamber41 is collapsed to the form shown by the dotted line in Fig. III by the downward movement of the lever 37,when the carwheel 71 passes thereover, the air-pressure thus produced in the chamber 41 being conveyed by the pipe 28 to the said chamber 26, intiating this chamber, and thereby causing the lever 2% to be raised, the stop 25 of the disk is released, and the said disk will pass through an arc of onehundred and eighty degrees, and then be arrested by the stop 34 and the lever 33 in the manner described.

In order that the actuatingchamber 41 when collapsed by the first wheel of the train will maintain this form until the entire train has passed thereover, and thus avoid successive pulsations of air-pressure by the succeeding wheels of the train that pass thereover, there is provided in the pipe 28 a check-valve 4-6, that permits the air to pass from the chamber 41 to the chamber 2G,but prevents its return therethrough, whereby when the first pulsation of air-pressure is transmitted to inflate the chamber 26 the actuating-chamber II will be held in its collapsed form by the partial vacuum created therein by the tension of its spring until the air-pressure is again returned thereto from the chamber 26 through the pipe a7, that forms a communication around the said check-valve, and has a cock 4-8 therein, by which the return of airpressure to the chamber 41 can be so controlled as to maintain the collapsed form of the said chamber 41. for any desired time.

ITO

This same result may be produced by a small hole being form ed in the check-valve, through which the air may leak back. This arrangement would not admit, however, of any adj ustability and Variation of return.

The danger position of the disk just described will be held until the first wheel of the train reaches the actuating device 11, that is placed at any desired distance on the other side of the signal-box 13, this actuating device consisting of an expansible chamber 63, that is of similar construction to that described at the entering end of the section 8, the pipe 35 therefrom communicating with the expansible chamber 32, whereby when its lever 37 is pressed downward by the car-wheel the air-pressure from this chamber 63 will cause the chamber 32 to be inflated, its lever 33 raised, releasing the stop 34, and the disk 14 will be caused to move by its weight 16 until arrested by the stop 23 coming in contact with the stop 25 on the lever 24, that at this time will be inits lowest position by the air having escaped to the chamber 41 from the chamber 26, thus permitting the disk to again travel through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees and hiding it from view inside the box 13.

In the drawings, the check-valve 46 is not shown on the actuating device 11 at the leaving end of the section, though it may be employed with equal advantage thereat. In fact, the device is operated without the employment of this check-valve at either end. For the preservation of the mechanism it is deemed best, however, to use this means of relieving the parts of unnecessary work.

In addition to the sight-signal provided at the crossing by the disk 14, there is likewise employed an audible signal to attract attention thereto, that consists of a gong 50 and its operating mechanism, that is inclosed in a suitable compartment therefor in the box 13. In order to ring this gong 50 when the train passes over the actuating device 10 on entering the section, there is employed a train of geared wheels 52, that are caused to rotate by a weight 53, which is wound round the axle 54 of the smaller geared wheel by the crankwheel 62, that extends through the side of the casing therefor, this weight passing over a pulley 55 and moving in a recess therefor in the upright 12, the teeth of the larger geared wheel in its rotating movement imparting to the hammer 56 a vibratory movement by which the gong is rung. To control the movement of the train of wheels 52, there is employed the lever 75, the weighted end 57 of which engages with the teeth of the larger geared wheel, and thereby releases or stops its movement, this lever 75 being operated by the expansible chamber 58, that is of like construction and operation as the chambers 26 and 32, either a spring or the weight of the lever 75 holding the said chamber in the collapsed form, and the pipe 28 extended, so as to communicate with the interior of this chamber, whereby the air-pressure from the actuating-chamber 41 will cause this chamber to be inflated and the end 57 of the lever disengaged, thus permitting the train of wheels 52 to rotate and the gong to be rung, a checkvalve 60 being placed in the pipe 28, near the chamber 58, to prevent the return of air to the chamber 41, except what will pass through the pipe 61, that provides communication around the check-valve, and is-provided with a cock 62,whereby this return-flow of air may be so regulated that the inflated condition of the chamber 58 may be maintained and the gong rung for any desired time.

It will be seen from the construction and operation of the devices herein described that the disk 14 and the gong 50 may be used independently one of the other, whereby the disk alone or the gong alone may be placed at a crossing and actuated from a distance to indicate the approach of a train, the weights 16 and 53 being wound up by the track-walker at regular intervals by means of the crankwheels 20 and 62 in the manner described and its condition indicated by an arm 21, operated by the falling weights.

Having described my invention and the manner of operating, what I claim, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent,

1. A railroad-signal consisting of a semicircular disk 14, provided with the stops 23 and 34 thereon, a casin g 13 for inclosing said disk, a weight 16 to cause said disk to revolve, a lever 24, that engages with the said stop 23 on the disk, a lever 33, that engages with the said stop 34 on the disk, an expansible chamber 26, which will be expanded by air-pressure, and thus operate the lever 24, an expansible chamber 32, which will be expanded by air-pressure, and thus operate the lever 33, an expansible chamber 41 for expanding the said chamber 26, and an expansible chamber 63 for expanding the said chamber 32, for the purpose set forth.

2. A railroad-signal consisting of a semicircular disk 14, provided with the stops 23 and 34 thereon, a casing 13 for inclosing said disk, a weight 16 to cause said disk to revolve, a lever 24, that engages with the said stop 23 on the disk, a lever 33, that engages with said stop 34 on the disk, an expansible chamber 26, which will be expanded by air-pressure, and thus operate the lever 24, and an expansible chamber 32, which will be expanded by air-pressure, and thus operate the lever 33, an expansible chamber 41 for operating the said chamber 26, an expansible chamber 63, for expanding said chamber 32, a pipe 28, connecting the chamber 41 with the chamber 26, a pipe 35, connecting the chamber 63 with the chamber 32, a check-valve 46, placed in said pipe 28, a branch pipe 47in said pipe 28, passing around the said check-valve 46, and a cock 48, placed in the said branch pipe 47, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railroad-signal, the combination of a lever 37, an expansible chamber 411, which will be compressed by the movement of said lever, and thereby produce a pressure of air in said chamber 41, a spring A, whereby the said chamber 41 will be expanded, a pipe 28 to convey the said air-pressure to a signal, a semicircular disk 14, provided with the stops 23 and 3t thereon, a casing 13 for inclosing said disk, a weight 16 to cause the said disk to revolve, a lever 24, that engages with the stop 23 on the disk, a lever 33, that engages with the stop 34 011 the disk, an expausible chamber, which will be expanded by air-pressure, and thus operate the lever 24, an expansible chamber 32, which will be expanded by airpressure, and thus operate the lever 33, an

expansible chamber (J3, placed at the end of the section 8, a pipe 35 to convey pressure from the said chamber 03 to said chamber 32, the train of geared wheels 52, moved by the weight 53, a lever 75, which controls the movement of said train .of wheels, and an expausible 

